Report: New coal power plant numbers register sharp decline

Notorious for causing massive emissions contributing to global warming, coal-fired power plant numbers have reduced drastically in the last three years.

Governments' around the world are reluctant to commission fossil-fuel power plants to keep global temperature rise within 2 degree Celsius. As a result, it has led to 39 percent reduction in construction of new coal-fired power plants from 2017, and an 84 percent drop since 2015, a new report released Wednesday said.

With massive 85 percent of power capacity generated from coal in China and India, since 2015, both countries have also refused permits for new coal plants.

Overall, there is a 24-percent drop in pre-construction activity of coal-fueled power stations year-on-year, found the fifth annual survey of new coal plants, titled Boom and Bust 2019: Tracking the Global coal Plant Pipeline.

Apart from new and pre-construction, the number of coal-fired power plants retirement continues at a fast pace. The U.S accounted for over half of global and second highest national percentage on record to phase-out such power generation units.

The retirement comes “despite efforts by the Trump administration to prevent the closure of the aging plants”, the report prepared jointly by Global Energy Monitor, Sierra Club, and Greenpeace said.

"As the cost of clean, renewable energy solutions like wind and solar continue to outpace outdated fossil fuels, it's only a matter of time before coal is a thing of the past worldwide,” said Neha Mathew-Shah, of the Sierra Club's International Program.

Last year, the European Union phased-out nearly 3.7 GW of coal-fueled electricity generating capacity, with the UK contributing 2.8 GW. The coal-based power in the country has declined from 39 percent of total electricity generation in 2012 to only five percent in 2018.

China is planning to increase power generation by coal-fired plants to meet its rising energy demand. It is asupplement toits ambitious ongoing efforts in obtaining energy from solar, wind, hydraulicand nuclear generating facilities. Plans are afoot to cap coal power at 1,300 GW in 2030, according to a report released by China Electricity Council report released early this month.

(Top Image:Steam billows from the cooling towers of Vattenfall's Jaenschwalde brown coal power station near Cottbus, Germany, December 2, 2009. /VCG Photo)